Ichimi Sake Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Melbourne

Dinner for two - take away. This was our first meal from this restaurant as our usual , local Japanese was closed . Unfortunately this was an utterly disappointing meal from Ichimi Sake. My husband arrived well before the designated pick up time and all the food was already sitting and waiting - the sashimi was not cold, in fact it was warm and made me feel a little anxious to eat any of it . It was a warm 28 degree evening (not good for raw fish) . The tempura was thick, greasy and looked like ‘fish and chip shop’ batter and tasted basically like that also. It was not light and crispy and all the vegetables in the batter were thick chunks that had been chopped without any care. The $30 sushi and sashimi selection was so small it felt like we had been taken for a ride, paying that much for it. The gyoza filling was very sparse and they were like almost empty sacks of pastry . Perhaps in-house dining is better however, we were bitterly disappointed and for the total $64 we spent on 3 small dishes, we would have enjoyed a pizza more. Can’t say we...

We’ve dined at Ichimi Sake Restaurant multiple times now, and it has consistently delivered a warm, welcoming experience. The service is always attentive, friendly, and comforting, the kind that makes you feel right at home.

We’ve sampled most of the menu over our visits, and the quality has never wavered. The sashimi stands out in particular as it is always fresh, expertly sliced, and beautifully presented. The black cod is another highlight: perfectly cooked, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich, savoury flavour that keeps us coming back for more.

It’s also worth noting that Ichimi is family-friendly. Our toddler especially enjoyed the crisp, light tempura and the wagyu beef don, which was full of flavour and tender to the bite.

Overall, Ichimi Sake strikes a wonderful balance between high-quality Japanese cuisine and warm, personalised service. A local gem we’ll happily continue...

We decided to take a Sunday drive to Warrandyte for lunch and a walk (we live in Essendon). We were greeted by a lovely young man who was happy for us to select our table by the window, even though he had set another table for us (we had booked online). We started with a black cod taco, which was brought to us by the owner. It was incredible. We then had staple favourites of karaage chicken and pork gyoza. The gyoza were perfectly balanced and the chicken was a HUGE serve, perfectly seasoned, hot and very juicy. The Wagu beef Udon Noodle and Vegetariam fried rice were generous proportions and beautifully flavoured and presented. The service was fantastic, with tea and soft drinks only $50 per head. As you can see, I rarely write a review for anything unless it's extraordinary. This experience was exactly that. Thank you so...